The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-27
A.PIL0T'S LIFE.
HOW SEAMEN ARE TRAINED
FOR AN ARDUOUS VOCATION.
The New York Harbor Men-How
Pilots Earnings are Divided
"A Long Probation
The Pilot Boats.

A New York letter from E. L. Wake
man to the st. Louis Globe Democrat
says: When one considers the mighty
interests involved in the pilot system of
New York harbor alone; that annually
hundreds of thousands of lives and hun
dreds of millions in property in large,
noteworthy sense are at the stake of these
mems sobriety, proficiency and bravery;
and that not one in a thousand in New
York or anywhere else seems to have the
slightest knowledge of such men or SER
vice; the diversity of our tremendous
every day maritime, commercial and So
cial interests and the Indifference of the
average human to any particular class OF
' toilers, is most impressively illustrated.
There are to-day 1S1 of these New York
harbor pilots. BY law two more, or 1873
; all told, are allowed. Of this number,
133 are under control of the New York
Board of Pilot Commissioners, and fifty
! under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey
Board. Of the pilot-boats themselves,
New York pilots own twenty-five, and
New Jersey pilots seven; and the powers
of these Boards, the regulations of pilot
service, and daily work and lives of the
men are practically identical. They are
all New York harbor pilots, and what is
of interest about each class applies to
them all.
Pilots do not grow, they are made :;
and long, dreary task it is with some of
them in the making. A cub" or a
"boy," as the apprentice is called,
whether fourteen or forty years of age,
may have come from any landwise call
ing with cruise or two at sea to his ad-
vantage; he may have been the most
wretched of seamen, or even the most ex-
cellent of ships officers tired of long
cruises, or with some other strong motive
for compacter life anchorage. But wise
or ignorant, old or young, lie must serve
a rigorous apprenticeship If three years.
This is arbitrary, even though he became
a capable pilot in six months. Each boats
crew consists of a boat-keeper, six of
these 'prentice-pilo and cook. For a
while the apprentice gets nothing but
his food for his services, though this is
infrequent, the usual wages ranging from
SIS to $1S per month. After the three
years. term has expired he may apply for
his pilot license, or he may have already
become boat-keeper. If 50, he has
secured an advance in wages to about
$25 per month, and has got a long way
toward a place in his vocation; for these
boat-keepers are practically the sailing
masters of the pilot boats, and they are
never expected to leave their craft, day
or night, so long as they hold that re-
sponsible position. Previously, as one of
the apprentice crew, he has only been
required on duty with the regular
relays of two, to take his turn
at rowing the pilot from the plot
boat to the incoming or from the
outgoing vessel, though this is no sine
cure. Indeed this is at times really the
most pcrilous of all duties he may ever
be compelled to assume. In applying for
his license as pilot, he is "hung up on
the blackboard" that is, his application
is bulletined at the Commissioners office
for thirty days. Then he is under fire of
scrutiny and objection as to fitness, and
complaint as to character, if any of these
faults exist. If he passes this trial safely,
he then meets the ordeal of regular ex-
animation by the full Board of Pilot
Commissioners, to which are added two
old sca-dog pilots, selected for their pc
culiar aptness in tripping up possibly un-
worthy applicants: Nor does he now be-
come full-fedged pilot. He still serves
a probationary term of two years as a
iourncyman. All this time he is subject
to the strictest espionage and criticism
upon his work, and is given charge of
only vessels of the lightest draught. In
deed all licenses are based upon certain
draught, and a journcyman's license will
not cntitlc him to pilot vessel drawing
upwards of from sixten to eighteen feet; !;
so that at best his progress is painfully
slow. After he becomes a full pilot any
inetficicncy or the slightest mishap is
liable to cause his suspension or the with
drawal of his license altogether, while
whether novice or pilot of a quarter
ccntury's actual service; his license must
be renewed each year, and then only on
absolutely unimpeachable good standing.
The entire system of earnings is pc
culiar one, and to be understood requires
minute explanation. The thriftless pilot,
or the one who is without money or re-
sources, has sorry time of it financially.
His assignments are by mere chance, and
his earnings but percentage of the
boats earnings after other larger sums
are deducted. Each boat is owned by
company of six pilots, each of whom
owns an equal interest, though one pilot
CAN own share in more than one boat.
No salaries are paid, and the income of
pilots is necessarily just their share in the
net earnings of the boats which are re-
stricted in number Of the 1873 New
York pilots, not over eighty are owners
of the twenty-five pilot boats. The af-
fairs of each boat or company are an il
lustration of all; and to indicate these
basis of earning should be given. We
will suppose six full-grade pilots on
''Pilot Boat l." Its average earnings
will be about 81, 600 per month. Its run
ming expenses will be S4O0, which in
clude supplies of wood, repairs, cooks,
apprentices and boat-keepers' wagerS, and
all fees. This is first set aside
Then twenty-five per cent or $500, is
deposited with the companys treasurer
as boat revenue exclusively for share
holders annual dividends. The remain
ing $500 will be monthly divided among
the six owner pilots, who, it will thus
be seen, receive monthly share-earning
payments as well as annual dividends,
bringing the average pilots annual earn
ings to from $500 to $20O0-an utterly
inadequate compensation for what he has